Modular home rack for vehicles

ABSTRACT

A plurality of laterally extensible-contractible load supporting rack assemblies, positioned along each of the longitudinally marginal portions of a deck of a vehicle. The assemblies being arranged in sets or groups and each group being movable as a unit and the groups being adapted in extended position to project a substantial distance laterally of the vehicle and adapted to support one or more modular building units thereon for transporting the same.

lite States atent 1 Dupre 1 Feb.27,1973

[ MODULAR HOME RACK FOR VEHICLES [75] inventor:

[73] Assignee: North American Car Corporation [22] Filed: July 2, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 159,218

Barry E. Dupre, Lansing, Ill.

[52] US. Cl. ..296/14, 105/366, 105/436 [51] Int. Cl. ..B60p 1/00 [58] Field of Search ..296/3, 23 G, 14, 10, 36;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,180,281 4/1965 Sherrie ..l05/436 X Jaekle ..l05/368 R Lemley ..296/14 Primary Examiner-Philip Goodman Att0rney-Molinare, Allegretti, Newitt & Witcoff [57] ABSTRACT A plurality of laterally extensible-contractible load supporting rack assemblies, positioned along each of the longitudinally marginal portions of a deck of a vehicle. The assemblies being arranged in sets or groups and each group being movable as a unit and the groups being adapted in extended position to project a substantial distance laterally of the vehicle and adapted to support one or more modular building units thereon for transporting the same.

8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures MODULAR HOME RACK FOR VEHICLES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to railway cars and flat bed highway trailers and trucks and more particularly to a multiple span framework comprising load supporting rack assemblies for use on such vehicles for transporting modular building units to a construction site.

Modular building units are defined in the housing industry as factory produced, prefabricated and preassembled units, usually of three-dimensional, rectangular or box-like form, each including one or more rooms. Frequently such units are produced with all electrical wiring and plumbing, and often include heating and ventilating facilities completely installed therein. Sometimes a single module is constructed so as to constitute a complete home that need only be placed on and secured to a foundation and connected to utilities and connected tosources of water and waste facilities. Some modular buildings comprise a plurality of modules, adapted to be connected together when placed on a foundation to constitute a complete building. As iswell known, there are various types, sizes, and designs of modules for making up a wide variety of building structures, in addition to homes, such as for schools, hospitals, motels, apartments, townhouses,

commercial buildings, and the like. Some modules are so designed as to permit stacking one upon another to produce multi-story buildings. Some modules are produced by using conventional building materials, while others use precast concrete for floors, walls and even whole modules.

Buildings formed of modular units are in substantial demand, because of acute shortage of homes and because of the need to eliminate high labor costs. The matter of cost is especially important in connection with public housing projects as well as private building developments.

Because modular building units are characterized as cellular in form, high volume and low density units, the matter of transporting such units from the factory to a building site has posed a substantial problem in the industry. In an attempt to reduce costs and expedite transporting such modules, the industry in the main, coupled with recommendations of certain governmental agencies, have attempted to standardize on one dimensional characteristic of the modules to the extent that such modules shall be 12 feet in width to maximize the floor plan within it and to accommodate humanistic livability. The modules are produced in various heights and lengths depending upon the nature of the building desired.

By reason of the nature of modular building units,

the industry has in the main developed with manufaca turing plants so located as to permit shipping such units for erection in an area of approximately 300 mile radius. Due to regulations of the American Associations of Railroads, (hereinafter referred to as A.A.R.) extra wide lading, such as 12-foot wide modular building units, are not hauled on a regular large scale basis. For distances no greater than 300 miles, modular building units are usually transported by flat bed highway trailers or trucks. For longer hauls, the units have, to a limited extent, been transported upon modified flat bed railroad cars wherein frame structures are built up and supported upon and secured to the side sills of the cars,

which arrangement is deemed to be unsatisfactory for properly supporting the load. Such frame structures extend laterally a substantial distance beyond the normal permissible limits established by the A.A.R. and in order that such cars may be transported over railroad tracks, special permits or approved handling must be obtained and require relatively high surcharges per car, per mile of travel which must be reflected in the ultimate costs of completion of a building made up of one or a plurality of modular units. At the present time, the cars used for such hauls are subject to the same high surcharges for their return trip from their destinations back to the factory, because the overall width of frame structures on the car exceeds the permissible limits. Because I of these extremely high transportation charges, modular building units have not been shipped in any appreciable volume by the use of railroad cars.

Governmental development and sponsorship in the housing industry, Operation Break Through," for example, has emphasized the need for large hauls of modular home units, to be carried over long distances to meet the housing needs across the nation. The double surcharges for rail haulage thus has presented substantial problems in an endeavor to produce low-cost housing.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a novel multiple span framework for use on railroad cars or on low bed road trailers and trucks. The framework is in the nature of extensible-contractible rack assemblies which when applied to a vehicle such as a railroad car, permits transporting modular building units great distances, in semi-restricted interstate interchange. When the car is empty, the rack assemblies are caused to be contracted to qualify under permissible regulations of the A.A.R. as to width of the car and the car may then be used in unrestricted interstate interchange and not be subject to the second surcharge, and this results in great savings to shippers of modular building units.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a plurality of extensible-contractible load supporting rack assemblies arranged in sets or groups, positioned along the longitudinal marginal portions of the load supporting deck of a vehicle, and each assembly includes a load-bearing member adapted in one position to lie within the marginal outlines of the vehicle and adapted in another position to extend laterally a substantial distance beyond the deck, with each assembly being rigidly connected to and in the plane of the deck.

Another object is to provide rack assemblies of the character indicated, having a common structural member rigidly connecting the free ends of the loadbearing members of a set or group of assemblies so as to permit the load-bearing members of all assemblies of a group to be moved as a unit to a contracted or extended position.

A further object is to provide sets or groups of novel rack assemblies at opposite marginal portions of the deck of a vehicle which, in an extended position, provide support for the marginal portions of a l2-foot wide modular building unit.

Still another object is to provide novel rack structures of the character indicated, which, when in extended position, permit supporting thereon a plurality of modular building units of l2-foot widths and a variety of lengths and combinations of units of different lengths.

A still further object is to provide novel rack assemblies of the character indicated wherein the load-bearing members are pivotally mounted at one end and connected to and supported in the plane of the deck of the vehicle so that when the bearing members are moved to a contracted position, the pivot axis provides an overthe-center lock feature and minimizes need for external securement thereof when the vehicle is used in unrestricted interstate interchange.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a deck of a flat bed type railroad car, provided with load supporting rack assemblies embodying the present invention with the assemblies at one side of the longitudinal center of the car shown in contracted position and the assemblies at the opposite side of the car shown in extended position.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, transverse section through the car, showing a pair of oppositely disposed rack assemblies, taken as indicated at line 2-2 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged, sectional view, through the pivot axis of a load-bearing member of a rack assembly, taken as indicated at line 3-3 on FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a rack assembly, in extended position, taken as indicated at line 4-4 on FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary end view of a rack assembly, in extended position, taken as indicated at line 5-5 on FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a further enlarged sectional view through a rack assembly, in extended position, taken as indicated at line 6-6 on FIG. 4.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are sectional views taken at lines 7-7 and 8-8, respectively, on FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The multiple span framework embodying the present invention is for purpose of illustration in the drawings, shown in connection with a conventional flat" type railroad car. The railroad car as depicted in the drawings includes a main frame structure A, provided with usual bolsters and wheels (not shown). Supported upon the main frame A are a plurality of suitably arranged structural members including longitudinal stringers and cross members, such as indicated at B, upon which is secured one or more sheets of metal plate C, providing a deck or main supporting surface for the flat car. Rigidly secured to the main frame A, at opposed longitudinal sides of the car are structural side sills D, which extend upwardly above the surface or main plane of the deck C. In some car constructions the side sills extend downwardly, below the surface or main plane of the deck C.

It is to be understood that the frame structure of the railroad car to be utilized may include any one of a large number of different structural arrangements and the car need not necessarily include sheets of metal to constitute a deck or flat surface to which the multiple span framework of the present invention may be applied. Likewise, the present invention has equal application to supporting frames of various types of railroad cars as well as frames as embodied in low bed highway trailers and trucks.

In view of the foregoing, the term deck as used in the specification and in the claims is intended to mean a normal, usable load-supporting surface or surfaces, or main structural surface of a flat car or cars used for hauling trailers or containers and cars formed essentially of structural members which include stringers and/or cross-members providing load-bearing surfaces capable of receiving and supporting rack assemblies, as well as for corresponding frame or structural members applied to and forming a part of highway trailers and trucks. The multiple span frame structure constituting the present invention is also referred to as a rack structure, which comprises a plurality a laterally extensible-contractible load supporting rack assemblies. The rack assemblies are arranged in sets or groups and each group comprising at least two assemblies are positioned along each of the longitudinal marginal portions of the deck C. For convenience of illustration, I have shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, a fragmentary portion of a railroad car with sets or groups of rack assemblies arranged along each of the marginal longitudinal edges of the deck, with the rack assemblies on one side of the longitudinal center line of the car being shown in a contracted position and disposed above and supported in the plane of the deck of the car, while at the opposite side of the car, similar rack assemblies are shown in an extended position. Each rack assembly includes a tubular type of laterally movable load-bearing member 10. One end of the load-bearing member 10 is pivotally mounted between a pair of upstanding, supporting plates 12, which are welded to the surface of the deck. To provide adequate strength and rigidity to the supporting plates and in turn to the load-bearing member 10, a plurality of gusset plates 14 are welded to the outer surfaces of the supporting plates 12 and to the surface of the deck C. These sets of supporting plates extend transversely of the vehicle, and adjacent their outer ends and therebetween are welded a pair of upstanding, reinforcing plates 16 the lower ends of which are welded to the surface of the deck. Welded to the top edges of the plates 16 is a load-bearing plate 18 which, as may be seen in FIG. 6, is spaced outwardly a substantial distance from the pivot axis of the loadbearing member 10. The purpose of the bearing plate 18 is to support an intermediate portion of the loadbearing member 10, and the load imposed thereon when it has been swung outwardly to an extended position as seen in the left-hand portion of FIG. 2 and in FIG. 6 of the drawings.

The inner end portion of the load-bearing member 10 is provided with openings through opposite walls thereof in which is mounted a tubular sleeve or bearing 22. The bearing is of a length so as to fit snugly between a pair of spaced-apart upwardly extending supporting plates 12, as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings. The pair of supporting plates 12 are provided with a pair of aligned openings with which is adapted to be registered the bore of a bearing 22. Extending the bushing and the openings in the supporting plates 12, is a pivot pin 24 which is held in assembled position by a pair of cotter pins 26. By virtue of this construction, the bearing member may be swung inwardly to a contracted position, over the deck of the car and resting thereupon, as seen in the right-hand portion of FIG. 2, or it may be swung laterally to an extended position, projecting a substantial distance beyond the marginal or longitudinal side edges of the car for supporting engagement upon the bearing plate 18, as seen in the lefthand portion of FIG. 2.

A plurality of load-bearing rack assemblies at each longitudinal edge of the car are interconnected by a structural member 28, herein shown in the form of an angle iron with one leg 28a of the structural member welded on the top edge or surface of the outer ends of the load-bearing member 10, substantially flush with the outer free end thereof, as seen in the left-hand portion of FIG. 2 of the drawings. Each of the connections of the structural member 28 to the load-bearing members 10 of the plurality of rack assemblies is reinforced by means of a pair of gusset plates 30, one edge of which are shaped to conform to the contour of and are welded to the tubular bearing member 10 and welded to the underside of the leg 28a of the angle iron 28, as seen in FIG. 7. Welded to the free end of the load-bearing member 10 is a reinforcing plate 32, a portion of which overlaps and is welded to the other upwardly extended leg 28b, as seen in the left-hand portion of FIG. 2, to strengthen the connection of the structural member 28 to the load-bearing members 10.

The connection of the structural member 28 to a plurality of load-supporting rack assemblies interconnects such assemblies as a set or group so that the load-bearing members of all the assemblies of a group may be moved as a unit about the axes of the pivot pins 24 to a position overlying and resting upon the upper surface of the deck C, as seen in the right-hand portion of FIG. 2 of the drawings, or may be swung laterally to an extended operative position, as seen in the left-hand portion of FIG. 2 of the drawings. The number of rack assemblies that are to be connected together will naturally depend upon the longitudinal spacing of the assemblies along the deck of the car, and taking into consideration the weight and the length of the modular building unit to be supported thereon for purposes of transporting same.

Certain of the load-bearing members of the assemblies comprising a set or group, and preferably the members at each end of the group, are each provided with a metal pad or plate 34 which is welded to the top of the load-bearing member 10. The connection of the pad to a load-bearing member is rigidified and strengthened by means of a pair of gusset plates 36, welded to the underside of the pad 34, and their inner edges are shaped to conform to and welded to the outer surface of the bearing member 10, as seen in FIG. 8. It will be noted that these pads have their upper surfaces lying in substantially the same plane as the upper surface of the leg 28a of the structural member 28 and in addition said upper surfaces of the pads lie in substantially the same plane as the upper edges of the pairs of supporting plates 12, when the load-bearing members of the group are disposed in extended position.

When two opposite sets or groups of interconnected rack assemblies are moved to extended position and are supported on the bearing plates 18, the rack structures of the two sets or groups are then adapted to receive and support a complete modular building unit thereupon. For securing the modular building unit in place upon the rack assemblies, the leg 28a of the structural members 28, as well as the pads 34, are provided with suitable openings for the reception of lag screws or bolts for firm attachment of the modular unit to the rack assemblies. By having the upper ends of the supporting plates 12 located in a plane substantially in alignment with the upper surfaces of the pads 34 and upper surface of the horizontal leg 28a of the structural members 28 when the assemblies are in extended position, it is possible to provide increased support for a transverse marginal edge portion of a modular building unit when it is mounted in place upon the rack structures.

The rack structures are designed so as to provide, in extended position, for a spacing of approximately 12 feet between the inner faces of the upwardly extending legs 28b of the structural members 28, at opposite sides of the vehicle, for accommodating modular building units having a width of approximately 12 feet.

As may be seen in FIGS. 2 and 6 of the drawings, the rack assemblies are so designed as to insure against transmission of any load to the side sills of the car. It is also to be noted that the attachment of the rack assemblies is directly to and in the plane of the deck for transmission of the load directly to the under frame A of the car and thus insures a substantial and rigid support of the load by the frame of the car. By virtue of this construction, better and more versatile utilization of the car is attained and the rack assemblies are readily and easily accessible for purpose of manipulation and for maintenance.

By virtue of the construction herein disclosed, the rack assemblies in their contracted position, are securely maintained in such position by reason of the over-the-center feature of the load-bearing members and their interconnected structural member 28 and thus will substantially eliminate any need for additional means to secure the assemblies in contracted position. The vehicle, provided with the novel multiple span framework, comprising a plurality of sets or groups of interconnected load-supporting assemblies, is utilizable in connection with railroad cars of various types of deck design, as well as with the main supporting frames of low-bed highway trailers and trucks.

After a vehicle such as a railroad car embodying the present invention is utilized for transporting a plurality of modular building units to a destination and the modular units are removed from the vehicle, the groups of load-bearing assemblies may be readily moved to an inoperative position by swinging each group, about the respective pivot axes of the assemblies, so that the assemblies are disposed above and upon the surface of the deck C of the car.

The rack assemblies of the present invention permit a very versatile arrangement and permit ready adaptation for supporting various types of loads of modular building units for transporting to a destination. For example, utilizing a railroad car of a standard 89-foot length, there is available approximately 81 lineal feet for the reception of lading. On such a car, provided with load-supporting members embodying this invention, it will be possible to properly accommodate thereon four modular building units of -foot lengths, or three modular building units of 21-foot lengths, or 24-foot lengths, 26-foot lengths, or 27-foot lengths. It will also accommodate combinations of building units of different lengths, such as a unit of 24-foot length and two units of 28-foot lengths, or one of 20-foot length and two units of 30-foot lengths, and various other permutations. Thus, a car equipped with rack assemblies of the present invention readily permits adaptation for handling modular building units of a wide variety of lengths in an efficient manner.

The multiple span framework in the nature of rack assemblies provides for simple loading-unloading and attachment of modular building units. The modules are each supported by the continuous longitudinally connected structural members 28 which provide the loading surface for the module.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle having a longitudinally extending load carrying deck, the improvement comprising a rack structure including a plurality of laterally extensiblecontractible load supporting rack assemblies, said rack assemblies being arranged in groups and each group consisting of at least two assemblies, said groups of assemblies being positioned along each of the longitudinal sides of the deck and each assembly having a movable load-bearing member, adapted in one position to be located in a contracted position over the deck and adapted in another position to extend laterally a substantial distance beyond the marginal outline of the deck, said assemblies each being rigidly connected to and in the plane of the deck, and an elongated structural member for each group of assemblies, said structural member being rigidly secured to the free end of each load-bearing member of the group of assemblies, whereby the structural member and the corresponding load-bearing members of a group may be moved as a unit to a contracted position over the deck or to an extended position, laterally beyond the deck, said groups of assemblies with their corresponding structural members, at opposite sides of the deck, in an extended position, serving to receive and support marginal portions of a modular building unit.

2. In a construction as set forth inclaim 1, wherein the load-bearing members are of tubular formation and wherein the elongated structural members are in the form of angle irons, with one leg extending in an upwardly direction when the group of assemblies connected by a structural member is disposed in extended position.

3. In a construction as set forth in claim 2, characterized by the provision of flat pads secured upon and adjacent the outer ends of some of said tubular loadbearing members with the upper surface of the pads being substantially flush with the upper surface of the other leg of the angle iron structural members.

4. In a construction as set forth in claim 2, wherein the load-bearing tubular members are so dimensioned that when the said members of a pair of opposite groups of assemblies are disposed in extended position, the spacing between the inner faces of the upwardly extending leg of the angle iron structural members is at least 12 feet.

5. ln a construction as set forth in claim 2, wherein each rack assembly includes a pair o f spaced apart, upwardly extending support plates, rigidly secured to the deck, and wherein the load-bearing tubular member of each assembly is pivotally mounted adjacent one end between the pair of support plates for movement about its pivot axis to a contracted position over the deck and for movement about its pivot axis to extended position, projecting laterally beyond the deck.

6. In a construction as set forth in claim 5, wherein the upper ends of the support plate terminate in a plane substantially flush with the upper surface of the other leg of the corresponding angle iron structural member when the latter is disposed in an extended position.

7. In a construction as set forth in claim 5, characterized by the provision of a horizontally disposed bearing plate, rigidly secured between the pair of support plates for each rack assembly, said bearing plate being positioned laterally outwardly of the pivot axis, and serving to support the tubular member in its laterally extended position.

8. In a construction as set forth in claim 2, characterized by the provision of a reinforcing plate for each assembly, said plate being rigidly secured to the outer free end of the tubular load-bearing member and to the outer surface of said one leg of the corresponding structural member. 

1. In a vehicle having a longitudinally extending load carrying deck, the improvement comprising a rack structure including a plurality of laterally extensible-contractible load supporting rack assemblies, said rack assemblies being arranged in groups and each group consisting of at least two assemblies, said groups of assemblies being positioned along each of the longitudinal sides of the deck and each assembly having a movable load-bearing member, adapted in one position to be located in a contracted position over the deck and adapted in another position to extend laterally a substantial distance beyond the marginal outline of the deck, said assemblies each being rigidly connected to and in the plane of the deck, and an elongated structural member for each group of assemblies, said structural member being rigidly secured to the free end of each load-bearing member of the group of assemblies, whereby the structural member and the corresponding load-bearing members of a group may be moved as a unit to a contracted position over the deck or to an extended position, laterally beyond the deck, said groups of assemblies with their corresponding structural members, at opposite sides of the deck, in an extended position, serving to receive and support marginal portions of a modular building unit.
 2. In a construction as set forth in claim 1, wherein the load-bearing members are of tubular formation and wherein the elongated structural members are in the form of angle irons, with one leg extending in an upwardly direction when the group of assemblies connected by a structural member is disposed in extended position.
 3. In a construction as set forth in claim 2, characterized by the provision of flat pads secured upon and adjacent the outer ends of some of said tubular load-bearing members with the upper surface of the pads being substantially flush with the upper surface of the other leg of the angle iron structural members.
 4. In a construction as set forth iN claim 2, wherein the load-bearing tubular members are so dimensioned that when the said members of a pair of opposite groups of assemblies are disposed in extended position, the spacing between the inner faces of the upwardly extending leg of the angle iron structural members is at least 12 feet.
 5. In a construction as set forth in claim 2, wherein each rack assembly includes a pair of spaced apart, upwardly extending support plates, rigidly secured to the deck, and wherein the load-bearing tubular member of each assembly is pivotally mounted adjacent one end between the pair of support plates for movement about its pivot axis to a contracted position over the deck and for movement about its pivot axis to extended position, projecting laterally beyond the deck.
 6. In a construction as set forth in claim 5, wherein the upper ends of the support plate terminate in a plane substantially flush with the upper surface of the other leg of the corresponding angle iron structural member when the latter is disposed in an extended position.
 7. In a construction as set forth in claim 5, characterized by the provision of a horizontally disposed bearing plate, rigidly secured between the pair of support plates for each rack assembly, said bearing plate being positioned laterally outwardly of the pivot axis, and serving to support the tubular member in its laterally extended position.
 8. In a construction as set forth in claim 2, characterized by the provision of a reinforcing plate for each assembly, said plate being rigidly secured to the outer free end of the tubular load-bearing member and to the outer surface of said one leg of the corresponding structural member. 